Something happened today that has never before happened in Alex Smith’s NFL career.
When the 49ers went out to the practice field for “voluntary” organized team activities, Smith was not learning a new offensive system. Also, in a departure from the past two offseasons, he was not rehabilitating his right shoulder.
Smith is healthy. And he’s building on what he’s already learned from offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye’s playbook.
To wit, today on the first of two days of OTAs, the 49ers’ offense worked on blitz pickup. A year ago at this time, they might have spent some time on how to line up in the huddle.
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Smith played 10 ½ games last season and posted career-best numbers in every category. He saw a mixed bag when he went back to evaluate his own performance.
“You come back and watch the cut-ups from last season and go through it all, fundamentally,” Smith said. “I think it goes along with the team. Yeah, there were some good moments but we left a lot out there. That’s for sure. I think I left a lot out there. Made some plays at some times and didn’t make them over the course of the season when they had to be made. I think you saw the ups and downs with my performance, as well as the team’s – especially on offense.”
Smith watched cut-ups of game film that placed all of the same routes on a reel to watch back-to-back-to-back.
“You look at how frustrating it is and how simple things are sometimes,” Smith said. “You get into the middle of the season and sometimes you can over-think things as a quarterback and get caught up in the middle of it. Sometimes you talk yourself out of things. You predetermine things. You know, ‘Hey, we already threw this once, I don’t think we can hit it again,’ and all of a sudden it comes up and you weren’t ready for it because you talked yourself out of it.
“Those are the types of things when you look at the cut-ups stand out to me. There were some opportunities at big moments that didn’t get made at times.”
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Q: How much trust do you have in your ability now, as compared to two or three years ago?
Smith: “I’m much more confident in what I can do right now. Without a doubt. Not physically speaking, but the mental part for sure. It shows up because the ball gets out quicker and you make better decisions and the ball’s more accurate. I think I’m so much more advanced, seeing what you’re seeing and reacting to it and getting through the progression. Those types of things.
On the people who doubt Smith’s abilities to succeed:
Smith: “It’s always going to happen. It’s never going to end. It never will. You set goals and expectations for yourself, and that’s it. Then, come out here and compete and do everything I can to become the best quarterback I can to help this team. I’m not worried about the rest of the stuff. Obviously, I appreciate all my fans, but I’m coming out here to try to win some games.”
On a full offseason with Michael Crabtree:
Smith: “It’s nice to have him in this time of year. To be able to run routes and the timing . . . that gets talked about a lot. To be on the same page, to have that communication, to have that trust that we’re both on the same page and he’s going to be seeing the same things I’m seeing and both making the same adjustments.”
On the style of offense – spread or power-running attack:
Smith: “We need to do a better job of having balance through all different personnel (groups) and all the different looks. We can’t be one thing in one personnel and one thing in another. We have to be able to do it in all those sets. I think that’s what it’s about. Today, there was a lot of emphasis on the pressures. That’s why you saw it spread out and doing more six-man protections. We’re trying to iron out some adjustments we learned from last season.”
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